Automatic setup carton



y 1954 K. T. BUTTERY AUTOMATIC SETUP CARTON Original Filed my 19, 1951 r ml Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATS AT NT OFFICE AUTGMATIC SETUP CARTON Original application M 227,203. Divided and 1953, Serial No. 354,284

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in an automatic setup carton.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a collapsible carton of the automatic erecting type in which the bottom members are positively and automatically swung to erected position on the erecting of the side walls and are interlockingly engaged so that they are capable of sustaining substantial loads when erected.

Second, to provide a carton of square section having these advantages which provides a bottom in which the joints between the bottom members are eiiectively closed and at the same time one which may be quickly and easily erected.

Qbjects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is ilin the accompanying drawings, in

t are hingeclly connected at 5, the hinging con- .nections being desirably in the form of scores.

The sealing flap 6 is hingedly connected to the wall I by the hinging score 7 and is secured to the inner side of the wall d by adhesive indicated at 8.

The opposed pair of side walls l and 3 are provided with complementary bottom members 9 hingedly secured to their bottom edges at i Q. "ifhe other opposed pair of walls 2 and i have triangular shaped bottom members ii hingedly secured to their bottom edges at 32. Each of these bottom members i I has a coupling flap is hingedly secured to one edge at I l. These flaps are on corresponding edges of the bottom members H. leach flap i3 is adhesively secured to the under side of the adjacent bottom member s, adhesive being indicated at i5.

Each coupling flap is provided with an integral laterally projecting tongue !5 which when the attaching flaps are secured to the bottom members 9 project beyond the swinging edges thereof as is ay 19, 1951, Serial No. this application May 11,

clearly shown in the drawing. In effect they provide the bottom members 9 with projecting tabs which overlappingly and interlockingly engage with the opposed complementary bottom member and lie on the top thereof as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. The edges ll of the tongues are inclined so that they swing past each other and have guiding relation to each other as the carton is swung from collapsed to erected position.

The bottom members are collapsed or lie on the inner sides of the side walls so that the carton walls and bottom may be automatically erected merely by pressing on the collapsed carton as viewed in 4. The complementary bottom members 3 are substantially rectangular but their ends are cut away at E8 and 19 to provide clear- The edges 2!! of the coupling flaps terminate short of the inner ends of the bottom members l l, as best shown in Fig. 3, for the same purpose, that is, to provide sulficient clearance so that the parts may swing to erected position without undesirable frictional engagement with the walls during the movement from the collapsed position, as shown in Fig. 4, within the walls to fully erected position. While the bottom members 9 do not overlap but are complementary, the bottom members I I underlying the same and the tongues l6 overlying the same result in an effective closed bottom and one which is capable of sustaining substantial loads.

In the embodiment illustrated the walls 2 and ii are provided with inner closure members 2! hingedly secured to their upper edges at 22 while the wall i has an outer closure member 23 hinged- 1y secured thereto at 24 and provided with a tucking flap 25 hingedly secured to its swinging edge at 2B. The slits 21 at the juncture of the tucking flap to the outer closure member provide locking tongues 28 which engage with the inner closure members at the front corners thereor" when the tucking flap is in closed position. The inner closure members are of such length that they overlap when in closed position.

This application is a division of my application for Letters Patent Serial Number 227,203, filed May 19, 1951, now Patent No. 2,659,526.

This structure is particularly desirable for square cartons. In substantially elongated oartons I prefer to use the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 7 of my original application.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a highly practical commercial embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other modifications or adaptations as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt the invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A collapsible square carton formed of an integral blank having hingedly connected side walls, one pair of opposed side walls having complementary rectangular bottom members hingedly connected to the bottom edges thereof, the other pair of opposed side walls having triangular bottom members hingedly connected to the bottom edges thereof and each having a coupling flap hingedly connected to the outer diagonal edge thereof, one of said coupling flaps being fixedly secured to th under side of one of said complementary bottom members and the other coupling flap being fixedly secured to the under side of the other of said complementary bottom members, said coupling flaps having integral laterally projecting tongues which project fixedly from the swinging edges of the bottom members to which the flaps are secured and interlockingly engage and lie on the inner sides of the complementary bottom members when the carton is erected.

2. A collapsible carton formed of an integral lank comprising hingedly connected side walls, opposed bottom members hingedly connected to the bottom edges of one opposed pair of side walls, and opposed bottom end members hingedly connected to the bottom edges of the other opposed pair of side walls and each havin a coupling fiap hingedl'y secured thereto on a diagonal line, one of said coupling flaps being secured to the under side of one of said first named opposed bottom members, the other coupling flap being hingedly secured to the under side of the other first named bottom members, said coupling flaps having laterally projecting tongues which interlockingly engage and are on the inner sides of the first named bottom members when the carton is fully erected, the tongues having coacting sliding guiding engagement with each other as the carton is moved to erected osition.

3. A collapsible carton formed of an integral blank and comprising hingedly connected side walls, a first pair of bottom members hingedly connected to the bottom edges or" one opposed pair of walls, and a second opposed pair of bottom members hingedly connected to the bottom edges of the other opposed pair of side walls and each having a coupling flap hingedly secured thereto on a diagonal line, on of said coupling flaps being secured to the under side of one of said first pair of bottom members and th other coupling flap being hingedly secured to the under side of the other of said first bottom members, said coupling members having integral laterally projecting tongues which project beyond the swinging edges of the bottom member to which the flap is secured and which interlockingly engage and are on the inner sides of said first bottom members when the carton is fully erected and act to supportingly receive downward thrust of the load on the said first bottom members.

4. A collapsible carton comprising walls hingedly connected to provide a collapsible tubular body, each of the walls having a bottom member hingedly connected to the lower edge thereof, one opposed pair of bottom members constituting inner bottom members, the other opposed pair of bottom members having inclined edges with attaching flaps hingedly connected thereto, one attaching flap being fixedly secured to the under side of one of said first mentioned pair of bottom members and the other being fixedly secured to the under side of the other of said first mentioned pair, said attaching flaps having integral laterally projecting tongue extensions at their outer ends which project from the swinging edges of the bottom members to which the flaps are secured andwhich are positioned on the inner sides of the first mentioned pair of bottom members when the carton is erected.

No references cited. 

